Q&A: Help Finding a Round Diamond For a White Gold Setting With a $3,500 Budget

Hey there, I’m looking to purchase a diamond for an engagement ring. Her hands and fingers are pretty small (size 4.75) so I’m looking at something fairly delicate, simple, and pretty low-set like these:

14K WHITE GOLD 2MM COMFORT FIT SOLITAIRE ENGAGEMENT RING

Low Dome Comfort Fit Solitaire Engagement Ring

I know my fiancee (we’re already engaged) would like to stack her engagement ring with her wedding band and both of those rings look like they’ll work fine for that.

Our priority – thanks to the great materials on your site – is to get the best eye-clean diamond we can within my budget.

I’ve tried to search your site extensively for the few questions I still have but I apologize if you’ve already covered some of these questions and I missed them. If you haven’t, I might recommend adding some info on these topics to make the site even more robust and trustworthy.

1) I understand that you stand by the diamonds on James Allen and Blue Nile, but do you also stand by their rings and their ability to set the diamonds well? If YOU were buying an engagement ring, would you have an online diamond retailer also do the setting?

2) I saw that both James Allen and Blue Nile do free cleanings and inspections every 6 months – do you recommend their services if we’re willing to pay the $30 shipping and be without the ring for a week or two each year?

3) Any advice or thoughts on 1.5mm vs 2mm width rings?

4) My fiancee is a size 4.75 (we already visited a high-end jeweler to learn more and hold some items in our hands) – can I have JA and BN size the ring to 4.75 even though those are not options on their site? How precise can they get with the sizing? I want this puppy to stay on and I want the ring to stay upright on her finger.

Finally, I’d love your help finding the best deal on the diamond itself. Again, eye clean is our biggest concern and we understand that a quality cut is the most important factor. We want a round brilliant cut, (solitaire on 14k white gold) but I’ll leave the other variables completely to you. My max budget for just the diamond is $3,500 although I’m certainly open to spending less.

Thanks in advance to you and the rest of your team – I would have gotten 100% screwed had I gone about this process another way. Not only that, but I’ve learned a ton in the process as well. Thanks!

Thanks – I’ve purchased the JA diamond you recommended.

I appreciate your help!